NORFOLK, VA—Julian Manuel Moreno Martinez, 31, of Turbo, Antioquia, Colombia, was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for his role in a cocaine manufacturing and distribution conspiracy centered in Colombia.

Moreno Martinez pleaded guilty on May 11, 2015. According to court documents, Moreno Martinez maintained farmland on the northern coast of Colombia where he provided storage and security for loads of cocaine that were in route for exportation to Central America and, ultimately, the United States. He also personally arranged for transportation of cocaine loads and, at times, made deliveries and sales. Over the course of approximately two years, Moreno Martinez was involved in the movement of over 1,800 kilograms of cocaine destined for the United States. Moreno Martinez is the sixth member of this conspiracy sentenced to-date.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and John S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys V. Kathleen Dougherty and Kevin M. Comstock prosecuted the case.

This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:13cr122.